The documentation for computer software is usually written after the software has been developed. This documentation is usually separate from the software. However, it is the common practice of programmers to place documentation in their computer software or source code. This internal documentation is commonly referred to as comment statements and includes text information that is not compiled when the source code is compiled into object code or machine executable code. Comment statements normally only address certain small segments of the overall computer software are usually maintained in the source code itself. Prior use of comments in source code is disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,488,258 entitled "Programmable Controller with Control Program Comments" which discloses a controller system that provides a means for producing a mnemonic and comment number when comments are entered into a terminal keyboard wherein the comments are stored separately from the program and automatically displayed to the user. Another prior reference that discloses computer generated documentation is U.S. Patent 4,370,707 entitled "Computer System for Generating Architectural Specifications and Project Control Instructions" which discloses an automated system for preparing printed architectural specifications and instructions. This system includes the means to combine data stored in different files to assemble the desired specifications and instructions.
Other attempts at computer program documentation include the IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin entitled "Computer Program Documentation", Vol. 24, No. 12, May, 1982, that discloses a way to combine commented source code to produce documentation. IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 15, No. 7, December, 1972, entitled "Self-Documenting Macros", discloses a new macro instruction operand which when expended would provide documentation containing information presented in the macro instruction operand.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method of generating external documentation from documentation imbedded in the source code. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method of verifying the source code with the documentation contained therein.